Welcoming a new report from the Institute of Health Visiting, which found that 93% of health visitors reported an increase in the number of families affected by poverty in the last 12 months, James Bowen, assistant general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“These shocking findings highlight desperate and increasing levels of need among many families. School leaders and teachers see the consequences of this on a daily basis, particularly among their youngest pupils. 

“It’s important that children’s needs are identified and addressed as early as possible, in the community wherever possible, but there is a woeful lack of government funding for the vital work that health visitors do.   

“We call on this - or any future government - to rebuild and invest across the nations in the health visitor workforce as well as children’s centres, and tackle the root causes of unacceptable levels of poverty among families.”